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My Trip To NicaraguaPlaces Visited: Managua, Nicaragua (2 days)
Leon, Nicaragua (2 Hours)
El Sauce, Nicaragua (4 days)
Background on Cities:
All Cities on the Western Coast of Nicaragua Managua pop. 2 million Leon pop. 200,000 El Sauce pop. 30,000 Total country population: 6 million Managua-Capital City Leon-Colonial City El Sauce- City for bottle upcycling project
Day 1 Travel to Nicaragua-
Flight out of Toronto 5:40 PM Layover in Huston for ~1hour Flight to Managua at 10PM A lot of college groups headed to Managua for mission trips, health initiatives, etc. Arrived in Managua 1 am on Saturday
Arriving in Managua:
Picked up by Marta and Alvaro- Kellan’s mother in law and her partner Did not stop at any red lights in the city because it is safer. This is okay to do after
10pm most evenings City had paved roads, LED traffic lights, many retail, hotel, and restaurant chains
found in the United States including:o McDonaldso Papa John’so Pizza Huto TGI Fridayso Hooterso Burger Kingo Wendyso Walmarto Hiltono Crowne Plazao Best Westerno Nike
o Adidaso Etc.
Popular modes of transportation in Managua seemed to be o Cars
Kia Nissan Toyota
Motorcycleso 1 to three people riding on each motorcycleo Just as popular as cars
Trucks and Large Passenger vanso People often rode in the back of pickup truckso Large passenger vans also a popular form of transportation
Large public transportation networko Large bus system that runs back and forth between cities (Managua, Leon,
El Sauce)o Bus system can be school busses or charter buses depending on where
someone is goingo Relatively inexpensive to travel. Only $1.00-$3.00 US for round trips to
far away destinationso No railroad system. Government sold it off to generate capital at some
point Road System
o Paved roads and highways (limited number of highways)- In Managuao Side streets are brick and some longer side roads are bricko Roads in Rural communities are poor and dirt/stone only
Managua Hills Hotel:
Hotel in a nice community within Managua Gated hotel in the hills of Managua Nicely landscaped (Watered during dry season) Lobby was nicely furnished and comfortable
o Wooden framed couches and chairs with cushionso Wooden Bar with bar stools in the corner under the stairwello Wooden staircase that led to second level of hotel
Building overall had Spanish influences with architecture Arches, stucco walls, wooden doors, and window frames, Spanish tile roofing Metalwork on railings, bars for windows, and framing of some furniture The room
o On the higher end of hotel roomso Floral artwork on the wallso 2-3 lamps. 2 on the nightstands one on the floor
o Normal US 120V AC voltageo Wooden nightstandso Wooden desko Separate bathroom with wooden door and tile flooro Shower with Hot and Cold watero Floors were tileo TV in each room and Air Conditioner in each roomo Comfortable Queen size bed
Hotel cost $35 USD
Day 2 Exploring Managua and the Journey to El Sauce-
Breakfast at the hotel- rice and beans, eggs with bacon, and toast Breakfast served in the courtyard of the hotel Served on porcelain plates with metal Utensils Courtyard filled with palm trees, flowering vegetation, Birds of Paradise Hear birds chirping and roosters from the surrounding area Fresh Mango juice served with breakfast. It was delicious Talked to the worker at the front desk about things to make out of plastic bottles and
plastic bottle houses were mentioned
Stop #1 Claro
Cell Phone store Most people in cities have smartphones 2 main companies for service
o Claro- Mexico Companyo Movistar- Company from Spain
Both companies are satellite providers Service in most urban areas of Nicaragua, some areas in the mountains and very
rural areas do not have cell service
Stop #2 Currency Exchange
Exchanged currency on the side of the road To get the best exchange rate from cordobas to USD you need to know someone
to get the best deal 29.5 Cordobas = 1 US dollar
Stop #3 Colonia Supermarket
One of the largest supermarkets in Managua Smaller than an average US grocery store They are used for convenience and imported goods Most other goods can be purchased from a market
Aztec inspired Art, pyramid/Triangular ceiling, bright and colorful décor, upside down umbrellas hanging from the ceiling
Store had a combination of imported goods from America, Costa Rica, Guatemala, and China
Attached food court The Store Carried
o Plastic Goods Flip Flops made in Nicaragua Plastic Containers-Guatemala/USA Plastic Plates-Costa Rica/Nicaragua Cheap Plastic goods-China
o Clothingo Meat/Seafood/Bakeryo Produce
Bananas and Mangoes in Season so they are cheap. Apples are imported so they are pricey
o Nicaraguan Candieso Nicaraguan Cookies
Popular use during festivals and holidays Also a favorite snack in the country
o Freezer Section Many 1L-2L soda and water bottles Some bigger containers for water were sold as well Mainly PET HDPE containers like milk jugs found here
o Personal Care products Many use HDPE bottles
Groceries overall cheaper than in the United States
Stop #4 La Plaza De Reveluccion
Large Plaza near lake Managua Used for parties, contains old Managua Cathedral Pays Homage to Sandino and the revolution in Nicaragua in the 70’s and 80’s Sandino is a huge figure in the culture and revolution and was a martyr whom
instilled change in the government Sandinistas currently in control of the government Took over from dictatorship rule under Samosa National palace in location as well as the tombs of major revolutionary figures Celebration in July to celebrate revolution. Is getting smaller and smaller every
year as the generations begin to shift Large party in the square
Many parks in the area used for memorials or for places to liven up the downtown area
Stop #5 Lake Managua and Old Downtown
Trees of lifeo 300 throughout Managuao Put in by Current Presidents Wife to replace “Revolution Poles”o 50-60 feet tall and covered in LED Lightso Mixed public feelings about the trees, They look nice but are very
expensiveo Made of metalo They are white, yellow, purple, blue, pink/red, and greeno $50000 USD to create one
Revolution colors, monuments, and symbols can be seen throughout Managua Attempt to revitalize downtown Putting in more parks and family restaurants Making the area a nice recreation zone once again
Stop #6 Loma de Tiscapa
Memorial and Exhibition for Augusto Sandino Giant statue of his silhouette at the top of hill in Managua Stands on the grounds of the old home of Somoza and also one of Nicaragua’s most
famous prisons Sandino was assassinated in the location in 1934 The crater lake is at the top of the hill in the area Revolution colors are prevalent and FSLN and revolution information on display Biography of Sandino’s Life Can see whole city from the top of la Loma de Tiscapa
Leon
City about two hours west of Managua 200,000 population Second Largest City in Nicaragua Near the Pacific Coast French Bakery (Patisserie)
o Croissants o Quicheo Sandwicheso Fresh Juices-Mango, Pineapple, Melon, Orange, Guava, Appleo Coffees
Cathedral De Leono Largest church in the city-Catholic
o Visitors can walk up to the roof and see surrounding volcanoeso Visitors must remove shoeso Bells at the top of the narrow stairwell to reach roofo Church has exquisite and detailed architecture and stained glass windows
Surrounding parko Trampolines kids pay to jump ono Makeshift rides using power wheels and swingso Live music in the parko Community gathering spoto Small Market selling, textiles, souvenirs, jewelry, pipes, wooden and glass
items
Day #3 Exploring El Sauce
Hotel Blancoo Family owned businesso House in the front/lobby areao Hotel with an open courtyard w/ tables and parking spots for vehicleso Rooms small with wooden furniture
Bed Shelf Small Nightstand Older Television Sink with mirror Bathroom with toilet and shower
Separated by sheet Wooden window with metal bars that could be open or closed to let air in Door that sealed so nothing gets into room
o Breakfast cooked every morning Rice and Beans Eggs and Bacon Fresh Fruit (Pineapple, Plantains, Bananas, etc.)
o Dinner Chicken/Beef Jalapeno cream sauce Rice/Beans Fried Plantains Churrasco
o Hotel lobby contains a lot of local arto Owner creates some of the art by sewing pieceso Other pieces generated by a painter that illustrates El Sauceo Night Watchman that locks gates the hotel at a certain time of evening
Weekday activities begin around 6-7am. On Sundays the day starts at about 8am
El Sauce used to be called Valle De Guayabal Story of Santo Cristo de Esquipula (Black Christ)
o Travelled throughout Central America from Guatemala o When Statue reached El Sauce the carrier died, the replacement sent to take the
carriers place also dieso Miracles began happening when the Black Christ was in El Sauce
Tornadoes Wind Storms Rain/floods
o Black Christ was found one day in a Sauce Treeo Town renamed to El Sauceo Statue of Black Christ seen throughout the city. The Black Christ ended up
staying in the town in the main church Religion is an important component of the culture and town
o Catholicismo Evangelical o Mormono Small Sectors of other religions
Gigantic Festival with hundreds of thousands of people every Januaryo People come in from Guatemala, Honduraso Town population essentially doubleso People are camping in the streetso Setting up businesses on the side of the roado People walk or take carts for several hundred miles to celebrate the festivalo Problems with sanitation and mosquitoes when this festival occurso There are some shelters for people to stay in, most notably a visitors shelter a
block from the church that serves for housing during the holidayo Rodeo, Baseball, Band Competitions, Parties, and Carnival rides/Games are all
things that come to El Sauce during this festival in January Catholic Church a center piece of the town
o Mayor installed Wifi so it is a major area where residents come to talk to family in other countries via facetime etc.
o Park outside church is a major gathering place Mayor’s Office
o Right across from catholic churcho Has covered basketball courts/recreation zone for eventso Houses major offices for waste management and building construction permits
etc. El Calvario Church
o Small Church up the street from main catholic churcho Only used on Palm Sunday, Locked the rest of the year
o Procession from main church to the Calvario on Palm Sundayo Most of the town shows up
Enlaceo Organization in El Sauce that is run by Kellan Morgano Responsible for many facets
English Class Taught Tuesdays through Thursdays in the evening Beginning and Advanced classes
Tourism Cooperative Micro Loan Program Help with Small Businesses Help with 4 walls Organizes School groups and trips. Coordinates all of the logistics
Many restaurants and shops run out of homes in the city Wealthier people live in the center of town Library of El Sauce is the old train station that was converted when Nicaraguan
government sold the railroad to make money El Sauce High School
o Children attend elementary school then High Schoolo They proceed on to colleges in Leon or Managua or trade school to learn a skillo Entrepreneurship is a major focuso All students complete a project and compete in a competition for the best idea for
businesseso Winners chosen by a panel of judgeso Sometimes winning groups able to start business with some money given from
competitiono Real focus on creating small businesses in the town.
Popular sports:o Baseball-Full Stadium used for games and performance competitionso Boxing- World Champion from Nicaragua so the sport is popular to watch, not
participate ino Soccer popular sport to play
Soccer league where El Sauce plays surrounding towns Tryouts for the league Allowed to have one or two members over twenty and the rest are youth Major event to bring community together
Major forms of transportationo Walkingo Bike Taxiso Moto Taxis- Small cars o Motor Cycleso A few cars and trucks
o Busses out of the town to bigger cities like Leon and Managua or other countries like Costa Rica
Smoothie Shop o Fresh Coffee and Fresh Frozen Fruit Drinks o Shows the shift in businesses from bars to more family friendly establishments
Strong sense of community in El Sauceo Neighbors talk to one another and people gather at church or at the marketo Parks are very popularo Bars are also very popularo Pickup soccer and basketball gameso Leagues for sports
Sense of peacefulness in the community On weekends Bars and clubs are popular with music and dancing Quinceneras and celebrations play a big role in the culture El Sauce is comprised of mainly 1 story a couple 2 story buildings with stucco walls and
tile roofing. Hardware stores
o Carries stains, hinges, knobs, rope (1 cordoba/ft), paint, iron, barbed wire, steel, sheet metal, power tools, etc.
Most if not all houses have consistent electricity House design has open areas mixed in with closed rooms to allow for air flow Very little air conditioning. Only in hotels and Claro stores in EL Sauce Most people have TV’s and Smart Phones Days usually end by 10pm on weekdays and 11pm on weekends Streets are very quiet
Meeting with Businesses and Stakeholders
Business #1 Bicycle Shop
Alejandro Solano (Alex) 2 Wheels project
o Bikes for children in Nicaragua to attend schoolo Enlace helps fund the project and with business developmento Money comes in from USA and Australia for project
Welds/builds framing and all parts of bicycles Obtains parts and new bikes from the city of Estelí Created a 4 wheeled bicycle
o 4 passengerso Custom inventiono Hoping to use for tourism
Fixes old bikes and works on and sells new bikes
Sells Spare Parts Pricing:
o 2300 Cordobas for a new bikeo 1900 Cordobas for a used bikeo Aluminum frames are more expensiveo Most bikes made of steel
Works on 50-60 bikes a month for sales Makes more money selling bicycles
o 70% selling bikeso 30% fixing bikes
Buy used bikes from surrounding citieso 20 bikes purchased every 2 months
Fraguao Human powered machine using bicycle powero More on this latero Band goes around metal wheel to bend/use it o Can adapt human powered machinery to pumps as well
Idea to create bike powered smoothie maker for tourism Can make us a bicycle power supply for shredder for relatively inexpensive-$100USD Works 8-5 Monday-Saturday 2 part time employees Family members work with him when they are not in school
Business #2 Clothing Business
Alex’s Sister has a clothing business Makes dress clothes, school uniforms, fashion items Learned about making clothes in Costa Rica Father made sundials Every 3 months she travels to Costa Rica to buy more supplies
o About 200 lbs. of material Made dresses for dolls when she was little and went to Costa Rica to learn how to make
clothes Works with her mother Has 2 kids Young Girls major target market Also school uniforms are popular Uses electric sewing machine Repairs clothes Can replicate designs from magazines and can design custom fashions Pricing:
o 800 Cordobas for a large dresso 180-300 Cordobas for a short dresso 200 Cordobas for a girls school uniformso 230 Cordobas for boys school uniforms
People sometimes bring their own material 4-5 hours to make an item of clothing Peak season November –December since School goes from February- December Popular time around holidays as well Works 6 days a week, 8 hours a day when demand is high.
Business #3 Washing Machine Repair
Removes material from old machines Sells useful parts Scraps not useful parts Melted metal used for construction 4-5 clients a week 2-3 similar businesses in town Welding capabilities Has most tools that can be found in the USA Missing a smaller tube cutter and a tool to bend tubes Fixes electric problems with devices Fixes leaks in lines of devices like refrigerators as well Welds with iron and aluminum Copper is also used heavily in the tubing Refrigerant R-104a Freon Plugs holes in lines to repair them Uses pliers to hold items in place while welding Uses a small welding gun Works with circuit boards and control systems Has replacement parts sent to the business or occasionally travels to Costa Rica or
Managua to find replacement parts Picks up machines using Bike Taxis found in EL Sauce 1-2 machines worked on per day Works 8 hours a day 6 days a week Scrapped parts go to the dump Prices for Scrapped Material:
o 10 Cordobas/lb. aluminumo 1 Cordoba/lb. Irono 18 Cordobas/lb. Bronzeo 35 Cordobas/lb. Copper
Has a collection of plastic items he doesn’t know what to do with
Mainly large HDPE drawers, fans, shelves, etc.o Used to sell for 3 Cordobas/lb. to a neighbor
Makes 2-3 dollars an hour Charge 250 cordobas for labor Factors in cost of electricity/food when finalizing the bill Has one permanent assistant and occasionally has a second. Pays them 250 Cordobas a
day
Business #4 The Bottle Collector
Someone in El Sauce used to collect bottles to sell to an outside company Sold to a company in Mexico Started collecting 4 years ago and the company stopped two years ago 3 cordobas per kg of plastic Middle man made about 10-11 cordobas per kg Bags still sitting outside of Managua 100 cordobas tax collection/yr on business from mayor’s office cleaned crushed bottles Had all types of plastic including broken chairs, fans, shelves, drawers, broken products,
and bottles Wind was an issue with storage with bottles blowing around Put plastic into giant sacks to store and transport Large trucks picked them up Strong focus on cleaning up the environment Strong public response at the time Process worked good and there was no lack of space Product ideas:
o Whistleso Toyso Chairso Plastic Containers
Business #4 El Molino (Mill)
5am start time to wake up and clean the grinders. Cleaning occurs the night before and early morning to prevent contamination
Grinder always washed between uses Corn is boiled and cleaned before entering the mil
o Cal is added to the corn to become soft for use in the mill Pinoil is made from one of the mills. (Toasted corn) Machine runs on 220 volts per unit
One mill requires water (pinol) other does not One mill can make material for tortillas the other makes cornmeal Main breaker powers the circuit to run the machines Main breaker hooks up to the motors 30 people a day come to grind corn Grinds meat on Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday as well on a different
machine Can only operate one machine at a time with current setup Process can be done for 3 Cordobas a lb. He charges 10- 15 cordobas per pound
depending on labor Caters to whatever the customer need is 25 cordobas per large pot of material People on average bring 6-7 lbs. of corn at a time Some of the ground corn only has a 4-5 hour shelf life if nothing is done with it post
grind Motors can be found in Oriental Market in Managua.
o Largest market in central America Coffee and cocoa also ground in mill Grinder is cleaned between every use to ensure no cross contamination Minimum of 500 Cordobas of profit a day Three people work at the mill Maintenance is done completely in house Bearings are the main source of issue with the machine
o Replacements can be easily foundo Chinese parts not favorable and break more often (only last 4 months)o USA parts are bettero Bought in car parts store
10 mill businesses in town Nails, Cans, Coins, iron get stuck in Mill occasionally Usually hear a metal item enter the mill
o Immediately kill the breakero Happens only 1-2 times a month
Plates on Mill need to be replaced every 2 years People in El Sauce can fix them with files and they need to be filed every 3 days When cleaning machine bands that join motor to the shredder are completely removed Machine is greased for functionality Machine bought in town about 300 km away Beans are also ground at the mill for a popular snack ante frijoles
Business #5 4 Walls Construction Manager
Pepe- 4 Walls On site construction manager
Since 2008 4 walls has had hundreds of volunteers 2008-2010 only built two walls of a house to improve structural quality Have helped 121 families since 2008 80 full house designs Roofs used to be made of wood, now they are all metal Strong walls made from bricks, metal, and cement Use only high quality materials to build houses 4 Walls has a Board of Directors- 5 members from different neighborhoods Look for applicants that meet different parameters to apply. Parameters:
o Need to own land for a yearo Need a house to replaceo House needs to be made of plastic, wood, adobe, sheet metal, or stickso Need government ID of some sort
Changed priority from adobe houses to also poorly constructed brick houses Prioritize women with children whom are either married or not married Family project, must have lived on land for at least a year. 6m x 6m houses
o 6m x 4m if land is strangeo Want to keep house design consistent so everyone gets the same thing
City is in decent shape with housing, 4 walls focuses more on the rural areas on the outskirts of town
35 families apply per year, usually 20 of those homes are built within the year Currently 16 families in need Each house costs $2000 USD $1600-$1700 for materials alone Houses built for domestic workers. The jobs they do is:
o Make tortillaso Wash clotheso Field worko Taxi workers
Bigger houses in the city exist througho Hereditary inheritanceo Making money abroado Government allocated land
Pepe and board members find families Families that reach out to 4 walls are visited by board members to evaluate eligibility Families provide large stones for foundation of house Pepe works extensively with the mayor’s office Adheres to all building codes (the limited ones that exist) Codes for certain public buildings but not for 4 walls houses Codes apply to restaurants, schools, pharmacies, and stores
Families like houses more when volunteers come down and work on them. Gives them a little something extra that is special
Product Ideas:o Roof Protectiono Break in Protectiono Gutterso Culattao 600cm long by 30cm high addition to 4 walls houses
If products are well developed, 4 walls will help with implementation
El Sauce Office of Waste Management
Workers in the dump specialize in sorting and finding different kinds of trash Plastic and iron are the most popular raw materials sifted out of the dump The dump will be moving to a different part of town next year
o Working on a way to separate organic versus inorganic wasteo 80% of current waste is organic while 20% is inorganico New dump will be further away from homes and from the river to reduce
pollutiono Old dump is also almost fullo Roll out of new plan slated for next yearo Change in society/advocacy campaign to inform community members to sort
garbageo People that currently collect would move with the dump/new people would be
found to sort out trash Collection of trash is currently the responsibility of small businesses Garbage collected 2 times per week and people pay the town 20 cordobas per month per
service Money collected from door to door to provide and collect from service Office for Waste Management financed from Central Government that provides (200,000
cordobas per year) Urban areas only benefit from the weekly municipality collection. Cleaning efforts
extend to surrounding communities on a three month rotating basis High School Students and the Ministries of Health assist in the trash collection and
environmental cleanup initiative No companies currently create collection opportunities Main source of garbage comes from stores and restaurants. Packaging is the major source
of pollution at the present moment There is a penalty for dumping trash, however it is very hard to police people committing
the act Distance of the dump and lack of transportation is a real issue in proper garbage disposal Current dump is burned, not all of it, but a majority
Hope to create a seed bank with the current site and plant trees to grow a forest. Motor oil and toxic chemicals not currently sorted. They are sent to the dump and mixed
with inorganic materials Toxic substances not as big of an issue as motor oil, however nothing is sorted Recycling is an in initiative in El Sauce and the mayor’s office believes there will be a
buy in. Product Ideas:
o Domestic Building Products for walls, room dividers, etc.o No art- this is the main thing people think about when recycling
1 cubic meter of plastic bottles collected from the city on a day to day basis Awareness campaigns through government raise interest in waste management and
pollution controlo Signs were made and put up throughout the towno Visits were made house to house to promote campaigno Worked with MISA to reduce sickness and make the city look nicero Reduce the rats, mosquitoes, and bugs in the city
Largest health problem is with mosquitoes and how they breed in open containers of water left on the streets
o Causes multiple illnesses 2 trucks collect trash- one collects, one crushes Plan in the future is to divide collection into organic and inorganic days Best part of living in El Sauce is the peacefulness of the village 2 systems for waste collection
o 1. Collection 1 driver 4 collectors
o 2. Street Sweeping 4 people collecting 4 people sweeping
Employees assigned to a specific neighborhood on a day to day basis Director of the waste management office has a biology background and has a strong
interest in cleaning up the environment and separating waste.
A Trip to the Dump
Collectors currently make ½ a Cordoba per pound of plastic 32 mixed bottles per pound Group from Managua currently comes and purchases bottles About 300 bottles collected weekly from the city Bottles are not washed before collection Caps and labels kept with bottles currently Gray bottles for “Raptor” drinks not collected HDPE/PET/Coca Cola/water bottles among the most popular
Collectors work 4 days a week About 3800lbs of plastic collected before calling Managua Company Crushed bottles are better and easier to handle than whole bottles A predetermined space is filled before the company is called Collectors work from 10am-1pm every collection day 2 people only collect plastic bottles This is how they make a living Collectors have been collecting bottles for seven years 10 Cordobas per lb. of aluminum Sticks are used to sift through garbage No gloves used to sort bottles Cuts are a frequent injury with sharp items in the dump Each collector in the dump works on their own. Everyone collectively helps with the
collection of plastic bottles The collection goal is reached every 4 months Kids are collecting plastic and other items from the dump as well. Product Ideas:
o Tables and chairso Pots and panso Containerso Culattas o Room Dividers
Looking for help from government with relocation as the dump moves in the future.
Carpenter
Makes furniture and fixes old furniture Makes all of his parts and furniture in house Has seven people working for him on any given day with sub-contractors for specialized
work such as weaving and detailing Clients come in with a design Has a portfolio of work that has been previously done Learned the craft from father who has a carpentry business in El Sauce as well Constantly learns new things and develops new skills Has 2-3 kids. Oldest is 11 years old Furniture is sold directly from his house and he has a storage area a separate location Owns most of his tools and machines. Renting machines is difficult and not economically
feasible Started the business with nothing and 23 years later the business grew into a big,
successful, craft business Father is still in industry. He is more in the art sector of woodworking On average there are 5-6 clients a week Average return rate is 4 to 5 jobs per client Can make- Doors, windows, furniture, and small wood items
Main wood types Guanacaste, laurel, and Pochote Pine trees are not used at all
o Lack of public buy in for pine treeso Pine needs special treatment
Furniture lasts on average about 20 years minimum No difficulty in finding wood Most popular items requested:
o Chairso Windowso Doorso Tableso Wardrobeso Entertainment centerso Deskso Shelveso Kitchen Cabinetry
Scaled cost model for clients dependent on:o Quality of woodo Size of jobo Laboro Hardware additives
Table and Chairs- 10000 cordobas Wardrobe- 12000 cordobas TV stand- 3000 cordobas Doors- 3500 cordobas Window- 2500-3000 cordobas Tables (long)- 11000 cordobas Small tables (Cheap)- 6000 cordobas Wood purchased through wood vendor. Wood sold through Mayor’s office Sometimes he goes and gets wood directly, other times he sends specifications to vendor If no permission is granted to obtain wood by government, truck and wood can be seized Chainsaw is used to cut trees. (Motocierra) Wood flooring, walls, and ceilings also made in business Sometimes makes picture frames, but they have not been in high demand Workers spend 8 hours a day on work for 6 days a week Tools
o Circular sawo Table sawo Router for table edgeso Job would be made easier by using a Trompo
Blades spin and can be changed on the table
Makes things the router cannot makeo Sander- Belt/Dual sided sanders
Materials constantly increasing in price All wood increasing in price 1 cordoba /yr. Every 15 days there is a 5-10% increase of items in the hardware store Labor cost stays the same Poor quality furniture a problem for low income families Furniture is a major thing people save for Paint, stain, hinges, knobs, and handles among the items increasing in price. Hardware prices:
o 200 Cordobas for Painto 270 Cordobas for Varnisho 65 Cordobas for 3 locks (door)o 40 Cordobas per handleo 48 Cordobas for 3 kinds of sandpapero 150 Cordobas for laboro 130 Cordobas for paint thinner (2 containers)o 50 Cordobas for screws, glue, and knobs
Buys hardware monthly to fulfill a month of orders More efforts for bargaining on larger orders in bulk buying Half deposit (down payment) made when a customer orders the furniture Sometimes people do not come back to pick up furniture Energy issues push back deadlines, but most of the time business meets deadlines Workers are responsible to complete assigned tasks
o Agreement with workers for 1300 Cordobas a week for skilled workerso Average cost of a skilled worker in El Sauce
Clients typically come back for repeated business 14-15 Carpenter shops in El Sauce Highly competitive field They have a network and recommend clients to one another depending on needs and
availability- Cooperative business Also responsible for upholstery of furniture. Buys stuffing from Costa Rica Family in the business, brother and father are competition in town.
Welder/Motorcycle Repairman
Fixes motorcycles Motorcycles are main mode of transportation in El Sauce Motorcycles have two kickstands Fixes bike mechanical and electrical systems Stand-alone business right next to an auto parts store Works 6 days a week with varying hours
Fixes everything right away while people wait on motorcycle Changes oil on cars as well sells the old oil as grease for chains of chainsaws Customers vary per day 110 volt welder used mostly but could use a 220 volt welder as well Power Generation:
o Power plant in neighboring town provides power to El Sauceo Fuel comes from Venezuela or the United States
Welds benches, motorcycles, fixes electrical stuff Learned how to weld from friends Buys parts from neighboring store to fix vehicles Fixes 5-6 bikes a day and a couple of moto taxis Uses Iron and steel to weld. Does not use aluminum. It does not work Can create a full frame for the shredder
o 1 tube steel 6 m long 350 cordobaso 1 tube angle iron 150 cordobaso Welder can cut both materials
Leonidas (Refrigerator Repairman)
“MacGyver” of repairs Fixes most things people bring into the shop, refrigerators, washing machines, radiators,
air conditioners Most typical problems are electrical Clients bring replacement parts with them to the shop Welds with gas, in the US work would be done with laser welder Does not use an electric welder Copper/Aluminum are the most frequent metals that are welded Can cut metal with the gas welder When business is prospering there is about 5 customers a week Family owns multiple businesses to stay afloat Has been fixing machinery for about 30 years. He got his start working with a shop Does not currently have any laborers or apprentices He has two children Women do not typically learn how to weld or fix machinery in the society Sells scrap pieces for parts Motors, full refrigerators, and other spare parts are sold 500 cordobas of scrap material come from a typical fridge Never looks to salvage plastic scrap Sells to outside and surrounding cities Constantly needs to continually learn as machines have changed over the past few years Some machines are too complicated to fix- those machines are disposed of
Fixes some vehicles as well, they become difficult to fix as the machines have more advanced control systems
No access to information to keep up with rapidly advancing technologies Could use a multi-meter or sensor to detect where problems lie in machine Messiah Market in Managua is where a majority of complex parts are sold Cars and Trucks bring machinery to the business Clients most of the time bring the machines but occasionally he goes and fixes on site. He
brings tools with him Most replacement parts can be found in the city of Leon Rainy season shuts down the business and hurricanes keep people inside The business closes a couple of days a year for hurricanes Wind is also a huge issue with hurricanes Police help with organization and schools become shelters during hurricane season Metal rooves have issues with windstorms typically Replacement parts usually Chinese. He wants parts from the USA because they are of
higher quality
Forge/ La Fragua
Powered by bicycle wheel and wicker/wire band Powers a leaf blower mechanism that circulates air Uses hand crank to start the mechanism, after a minute the flywheel keeps going Fragua is a forge Heats iron to a certain temperature to shape it into different forms Creates cattle branding and tools with forge Iron is the main raw material used.
Touring 4 Walls Houses
House #1
Blanca- 5 kids Live in El Sauce 4 people total live in house Has 4 boys and 1 girl. All kids attend school Found out about 4 walls from word of mouth from friends Currently puts up plastic to cover house during wind and rain storms Not a lot of plastic bottle waste in the area Product ideas:
o Something to cover the latrine or showero Room Dividers/ Floor mat for the showero Doors
Likes quality of life in El Sauce Moved to current land and owned it for a couple of years Appreciates the peacefulness of the town Happy with quality of life.
Has water delivered via pipe and electricity Grows fruit in yard. Bananas, passion fruit, tiguilote, plantains Grows fruit and gives it to the neighbors Most people have gardens where they grow fruits.
House #2
Had the 4 walls house for 4 years Added culatta, sidewalk, and shades Culatta added last year to prevent water and thieves from entering Thieves prevalent in this region. Usually steal electronics to sell for drug money Three people live in house Father is from El Sauce, Mother from Honduras. They met when he was visiting
Honduras Moved to El Sauce 14 years ago Daughter attends school and helps run business House has shades to help cool area while trees grow Has numerous small pots around for planting seeds Learned about 4 walls from neighbors Product ideas:
o Culattao Room Dividerso Flooring so water does not come up through floor in rainy seasono Plastic Chairso Sheet/plastic room dividerso Ceiling Panelso Plastic Garbage Cano Doorso Water Coolerso Covers for Televisiono Melting o Letter Press
Likes living in El Sauce for the peacefulness of the community and the feel of the town Common Components in a house:
o Plastic Chairso Sheets/ tarp room dividerso Photoso Fake plantso Small decorative itemso Petso Small businesses run out of houses
o Wind Chimeso Small Tableso Found Art
Gravita Recycling Company- Managua Nicaragua
Collect Bottles from throughout the country Shred and wash bottles Export chips to fiber companies Sent to India and China 1 million dollar grant to run initiative In tax free trade zone in Managua 100 People working in plant 15 trucks collect bottles daily Majority collected in Managua Works with municipalities to collect bottles from surrounding areas HDPE goes for a lower price Would buy shredded plastic if given the opportunity Caps of bottles made of polypropylene People sort out types of bottles by hand Compacted shredded and baled. Quality of the chips must be consistently checked. Labs in facility test quality standards
o Testing a container takes two days to verify the qualityo Follow international standards defined by Gravita
With the plastic chips, fibers, polyester, and bed sheets are made. Send the company in India samples and if standards do not meet quality standards the
product is sent back and there is a loss on the batch Transportation is outsourced to a third party that travels to different municipalities Price fluctuation depending on costs of transportation and cost of plastic 15% increase in price for processed chips as opposed to raw material 4 Cordobas per kg currently $2.20 and 2 cordobas per pound if chips are of good quality Separation:
o Blue and Green Plastic must be separatedo PET must be separatedo HDPE must be Separatedo Caps and Labels must be removedo All PVC and Raptor Bottles must be removed
Other companies also responsible for processing plastic and repurposing it into new products
Gravita is 2 years old in Nicaraguao Company based out of Indiao Follows all international compliance, laws, and standards for processing
Company Contact info:
Augusto C. Figueroa
Sr. Executive of Business (Negocios)
Mobile: +505-8588-6161
Office: +505-7826-6616
Pankaj Dhingra
Manager of Business Development
Mobile: +505-8240-7117
Office: +505-2222-2150
Gravita Nicaragua
Km 12.5 Carretera Norte,
Parque Industrial
Las Mercedes Modulo 20
Managua, Nicaragua
www.gravitanicaragua.com
Stories
Marta’s Story
At 16 years old, Marta had the opportunity to be a part of the Nicaraguan Revolution. As a literacy volunteer for the new government after the revolution, she left Managua and went to a small village in the mountains to teach 9 grown men how to read and write. With thousands of other young people helping the initiative, the Contras who were defeated by the Sandanistas opposed the movement. The workers were targeted by the Contras and often times killed for educating the people. One victim was Marta’s neighbor. She finished teaching her students and discovered a passion for teaching. Marta now teaches at a French School in Managua.
Alex’s Story
Alejandro (Alex) Solano owns a bicycle shop in El Sauce. He repairs broken bicycles, works on new bicycles, and invents new creations using bicycles. He has invented a 4 wheeled bicycle, bicycle powered machines, and works extensively on three wheeled bike taxis used throughout the town. Alex will be a great partner moving forward for making our machine bicycle powered.
The Bottle Collector
We were able to track down someone who used to collect bottles to sell to Managua. She collected for a few years and liked the initiative of cleaning up El Sauce and being able to reuse a product. She stopped because the company she sold to was no longer buying plastic. She was interested in the fact we were starting the initiative
again and gave positive feedback to our shredding idea. She seems to share a similar sentiment to many of El Sauce’s residents who want to see a cleaner place to live.
Pepe -4 Walls Construction Manager
Pepe is a mason in the town of El Sauce and is the construction manager on site for all of 4 walls houses. He has been able to build over 100 houses for people and is constantly receiving applications to build more houses for the residents of El Sauce. Pepe was enthusiastic about the recycling project and was interested in some building materials that could be made with plastic. 4 Walls would be willing to use our products as long as they were of good quality and were useful to the people.
Product Ideas:
Building Materials
o Windows
o Doors
o Culattas
o Flooring Materials
o Gutters
o Room Dividers
o Plastic Roofing
o Awnings/Shades
Art
Household Items
Storage Containers
Tables/Chairs
Covers for Electronics
Garbage Cans
Statues of the Trees of Life
Other Items
Polyester for filling cushions
Covers for MotoTaxis
User Feedback:
Overall positive reaction to project!
Strong campaign and initiative to clean up the environment and sort waste
Blocks designed by Afifi fit in well to the culture: Similar blocks throughout the city
Building Materials was the most popular category of product suggestions
Shredder looks like a lot of machinery that exists in El Sauce
We have partners to develop some of the parts of the machine
Shredder will add value to plastic bottles and condense waste until future parts of the business are developed
